Lavender Drawer + Closet Sachets

February 27, 2013

I was out in the yard clipping back some overgrown hedges last weekend and some of the shrubs that required trimming were my lavender varieties. Then I remembered that I forgot to share this sweet and simple sewing project that I made last year for Souvenir Magazine.

Lavender is my favorite botanical scent, and I’m lucky to have a few dozen plants that thrive and produce dried lavender every year, but you can also find dried lavender buds online – check Etsy! I gave a few of these to my sister in law, and I use them in my dresser drawers. The scent of lavender is therapeutic and these are easy enough to make as a gift for moms, sisters, friends, and teachers too.

Mix the dried lavender with a few cups of rice. You can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil to intensify the scent.

Hand embroider one square of cotton with the shape of blooming lavender stems. I did it freehand but if you’re nervous to do so, use a disappearing ink pen from a fabric store to sketch it first, then stitch on top.

Turn the embroidered cloth upside down and layer a plain fabric square on top for softness between the lavender/rice mixture and the surface. Repeat with two more layers of 6 x 6” cotton to create the bottom. Sew them together (inside out) with a sewing machine on 3½ sides, leaving one small section open to fill with mixture.

Hand stitch your sachets to close them up once they’re filled.

Use them in drawers for fresh scented linens or in closets as an all natural moth repellant – attaching small pieces of ribbon or twine will help to hang them on a closet rod.

If you make versions in a rectangular shape, they make great eye pillows too for soothing headaches or drifting off to sleep at night. :)

29 Responses to “Lavender Drawer + Closet Sachets”

Wow! This came just at the right time. Now that things are getting “Spring-y” around here, I’ve been thinking about how to add some beautiful scents to the house. I love the simplicity of the embroidery on the sachets; lovely.

Please don’t use flax seed. It contains eggs of the tobacco beetle (I believe that’s the correct beetle.) I had once made eye pillows using flax seed much like your sachets, and about a year later the eggs hatched and I had a mess of tiny beetles all over my bed. So far, knock on wood, I’ve not had a similar problem using rice.

Lovely! These would make a great housewarming gift. I’m so jealous you were in your garden last week! I keep pushing back the snow to see if my bulbs are peeking through yet, as if that’s going to make spring come any sooner :).

These are so pretty! I’ve seen some of your other lavender-themed posts as well. Can you tell us when (when they first bloom or later?) and how you cut (do you take the whole stem off and just keep the buds?), and how you dry lavender (hanging upside down?)? I have several plants, but really don’t know how to use them. Thanks!

I’ve been trying to decide what to focus on to start my first real garden since my husband and two toddler boys bought our house late last summer. Lavender for sure now! These little packets are so sweet and such a perfect little thank-you gift!

Hi Kathy, I always trim the stems at the base and hang them in bundles upside down for a few weeks, then once the buds are dry I run my hands over them and they all fall into a big bowl. But I have to take allergy medicine when I do it, sometimes all that dried lavender in the air and on my hands can make me sneeze … :)

I love the little embroidery detail. I made a few with extra fabric a couple years ago and add a few drops of lavender every so often to more scent. They’re also great for under/beside your pillow to help you sleep. :)

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Hi, I'm Kate from Northern California. I'm a bargain hunter, design lover, and incurable DIYer. I'm on a quest for diamond style on a dime, and I'm out to make my world fabulous, for less, one do-it-yourself project at a time. Learn more.